Wall construction



March 23, 1943. A. OGGATT WALL CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheetl Filed Dec. 1, 1939 INVENTOR 6/A55erA/7066Ar7 v BY WT ATTORNEY.

March 23, 1943.

6. A. HOGGATT WALL CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 1, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Gasser/11mm: 77 BY my 7 6W1 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 23, 1943 WALL CONSTRUCTION Gilbert A. Hoggatt, Snyder, N. Y., assignor to Certain-Teed Products Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maryland Application December 1, 1939, Serial No. 307,033

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to wall constructions, more especially to those in which on spaced support such as studs or ceiling joists a plaster supporting sheet of base material is fastened. The

invention particularly relates to the erection on wooden studs and joists of plaster-supporting base panels having abody of hydraulic-setting character.

In the past it has been the practice in some forms of construction to erect upon supports, such as studs in side walls of rooms or in partitions or as ceilings upon the underside of beams or joists, sheets or panels of material having such strength and rigidity as to carry a facing layer of plaster applied upon the outwardly positioned face thereof. This face of such base sheets has been formed with such texture as to provide the necessary grip or bond of the plaster thereto. Such base sheets, referred to herein as plastersupporting base sheets or panels, which are capable of supporting a plaster coating or layer, are commonly known as plaster base sheets, panels or boards. They have been made of various materials including those of fibrous structure in which the fibres are interfelted to securethe necessary strength and rigidity and as well to provide the necessary surface for the bond. For the most part, however, such plaster-supporting base sheets or panels have been made with a core of hydraulic-setting material such as gypsum or Portland cement. The most commonly used type of such plaster supporting base is that known as plasterboard or plaster lath, in which a core of set gypsum is confined between cover sheets of paper bonded to said core. Such plaster laths in some cases are provided with perforations therethrough into and through which the plaster applied to'the lath passes to provide a grip or look when'se't which increases the resistance to spalling and dropping of the plaster layer under heat of fire.

With plaster-supporting base materials which havea hydraulic setting core and especially with plaster laths the resistance to destruction when subjected to the heat of a fire has been limited by the condition that under the heat the core material calcines by the removal of the water of crystallization from the crystals. Upon such calcination the core material loses so muchof its strength that the ability of the fasteners, such as the nails driven through the base into a supporting stud or ceiling beam, to support the base may be' entirely lost because the bond or grip of the 'core to the nail i lost. This condition is aggravated and hastened by the fact that the nail or other fastener, usually of metal, increases the transmission of the heat by virtue of its conductivity. This loss of grip may also take place in connection With plaster supporting base materials such as fibre wallboards of the insulating type or other fibre boards, since the nail transmitting the heat may cause the fibrous material to burn or char and thus lose the grip of the base material. In all these cases after such release of the grip of the nail upon the base material occurs the sheet or panel or board may sag at the point of release or may drop from position, thus in many cases making an opening through which the flame may pass the more rapidly to accomplish destruction of the wall or ceiling. Time of resistance to such passage is an essential element of a satisfactory construction and in many cases ordinances in cities require that such a. construction must stand up against heat under standardized conditions for a specific period. This period in the case of ordinary gypsum lath and plaster in some cities is of the degree of one hour.

It is an object of the invention to provide a construction which, while not increasing per se the resistance of the base material or panel to heat conduction or to calcination or to destruction by charring or burning, will secure for the construction utilizing this material the necessary time of resistance to passage of the flame therethrough. After such passage occurs complete destruction of the wall and spreading of the fire into an adjoining room or portion of the building structure is inevitable.

It is a further object of the invention to provide in such a structure means which may be used with the ordinary commercial materials, that is the common plaster supporting base sheets or panels and the fasteners or nails commonly used therewith, to secure the desired duration of fire resisting period.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method of erection which may be carried out with facility by ordinary workmen and with the assurance that when completed the desired prolongation of the period before destruction occurs will be secured.

According to the invention a plaster supporting base sheet or panel is put in place upon the supporting members, such as the studs or ceiling joists, and fastened thereto in the usual manner except that the fasteners are so formed or are so inserted that a strand of suitable material, such as a wire of metal capable of substantial resistance to heat and flame, is brought into engagement with the fastener and stretched across a portion of the face of the panel to another fastener. This is done in the manner of lacing so that the intervening strand, being placed adjacent the face at this portion of the face of the panel, may act to support it and the portion of the plaster layer or coat which is applied thereto and which engages said strand or wire even after grip of the base sheet to the fastener is lost. Within the scope of the invention this strand or wire may extend from a fastener which engages one supporting member to a fastener which engages another supporting member, or this strand may extend between two fasteners which fasten the sheet or panel to the same supporting member. Moreover, the strand may stretch from one fastener to another while passing across the joint between two sheets or panels. Combination of these arrangements of the strand or wire may be made to insure to the necessary extent that all portions of the base which may require support upon release of the grip of the fasteners are provided with such support. This support may be afforded not only to the base material across which the strand or wire stretches but to the plaster or other facing carried thereby. The lacing, however, has its principal function in supporting the base sheet or panel after it has lost the grip to the fasteners to maintain the panel in place.

As an example of the practical application of the invention, as will be more clearly understood from the description taken in connection with the drawings, a construction will be described in which are used plaster boards or plaster laths having a core of gypsum between cover papers, these being erected on wooden joists by driving therethrough into the joists nails suitably spaced along the edges thereof which lap upon the joists. Nails also may be driven through said plaster boards or lath into the intervening joists which lie in spaced relation to the joists upon which the edges of the plaster board or lath are fastened.

In driving nails thus to fasten the plaster boards in place some nails, or if desired all of the nails, may be driven to leave the head of the nail free from the face of the plaster board or lath. A wire of suitable diameter and softness to secure the necessary pliability may be wrapped around or otherwise fastened to a nail and then stretched across a portion of the plaster board or lath to another nail about which also the wire may extend or may be wrapped under the head thereof. The same strand may be extended further to another nail about or around which under its head the wire may extend or be wrapped. This procedure may be carried out throughout the extent of the panel or until all of the particular strand of wire is used. If the end of the wire does not extend to the next nail which it is desired to reach a splice may be made to a new strand and the procedure continued. If desired said end of the first strand may be wrapped under the head of the last nail reached and the new strand also may be wrapped about this nail. The procedure then may be continued further. The new strand however may be started at a different nail. Various arrangements of the lacing of the wire from nail to nail may be carried out in order that the portions of the plaster board or lath lying around and between the nails or spanning between studs or joists and requiring support may have this support by the wire adjacent the face of the board or lath during the heating period and subsequent to the time when the calcination of the core material has so far progressed that the grip of the nail is lost and the board or lath may sag or fall.

The nails, which at first have been left with their heads somewhat removed from the face of the panel in order to be able to effect the lacing of the wire about or around the nails and across the face of the board, may be driven home directly after winding or wrapping the wire around each nail or may be so driven after completion of the lacing of the wire around a certain number of nails. This driving of the nails home to firmly fasten the lacing may, however, be postponed until all the lacing is completed. In any case the winding or wrapping of the wire about or around the nails may be so done as to accomplish the support of the lacing until the nails are driven home. When so driven the nail will hold the lacing in a given relation to the face of the panel and so that the plaster layer which is to be applied to the face of the plaster base may cover the wire lacing but may be in bonding contact with the face surface of the plaster board or lath throughout substantially the whole area thereof.

Within the scope of the invention also fasteners of special design, for example, a double head nail, may be used, in which case the nails may be driven home when placing the plaster board or lath in position. The lacing wire thereafter may be extended about or wrapped around the nails between the two heads thereof, the wire being run from one nail to the other in the manner described above. In such case the wire lacing at the nails may be spaced a greater or less distance from the face of the plaster board or lath, depending upon the space between the two heads of the nail and their thickness and form. In some cases a better grip of the plaster coat by the lacing may be obtained with this latter type of fastener.

While in the art it has been known to provide reinforcements which extend across the face of a base sheet or board for supporting a plaster layer, such devices requiring specially formed materials and special means or methods of erection, the applicant's invention utilizes common materials which may be erected in substantially the same manner as is commonly practiced. By slight modification of the method and means, such as leaving the nails protruding in order to wind or wrap the wire about or around the nails under their heads, or provision of double-headed nails, no substantial interference with ordinary practice or addition to the cost of erection is experienced. Moreover, ordinary strand materials, such as wire of suitable composition, gage and characteristics as to softness, pliability, strength,

etc., are readily available for practicing the method and erecting the construction of the invention. The strand of wire may be continuous over as great a distance between the terminal nails as is desired or convenient and may engage as many intervening nails as desired. To meet special conditions the wires may be cut in longer or shorter lengths on the job. Moreover, to secure greater support in some cases than in others the strand or wire may be laced about a greater or less number of nails and may stretch across a greater or less span or a greater or less unsupported area of the base sheet. It is a feature of the invention that this lacing, which because of its flexibility may be applied in a great variety of arrangements, is attached in strong engagement to the nails -or other fasteners which pass through the plaster supporting base sheets or panels and into the supporting structure, that is into the studs or joists. Thus the nails or fasteners and the wire lacing carried thereby, upon destruction of portions of the plaster coating or of this coating and the base to which it is applied, are able to come into play to maintain support of the base and the plaster coating, if

still adhering, so that sagging or falling of these fire resisting layers is prevented and penetration or passage of the fire through the wall is prevented or postponed for the desired period.

The invention will be further understood from the drawings, in which- Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically an arrangement of plaster supporting sheets or panels and illustrates various typical arrangements of the lacing in connection therewith.

Fig. 2 shows a typical cross-section through the panel adjacent a support and illustrates engagement of the strand or wire with the fastener.

Fig. 3 shows a similar cross-section using a double headed nail as fastener and support for the lacing.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 show in enlarged detail several methods of winding the strand or wire about or around the fastener.

Figs. 7 and 8 show strands of modified crosssection.

In Fig. 1 panel boards I are shown as mounted on supports numbered 3 to 9 inclusive with their edges in abutting or adjacent relation and spanning across the spaces between said supports to form a covering for the structure provided by said supports 3 to 9 in the usual manner in wall and ceiling constructions. The edges which form the lengthwise dimension of the panel I meet upon joint lines I II which extend transversely of the direction of the supports 3 to 9. The transverse edges in the particular embodiment illustrated meet at I2 upon certain of the supports 3 to 9 and the joints I2 are positioned in staggered relation to each other in the several tiers of panels.

For the sake of clarity in Fig. 1 the positions of the fasteners which pass through the panels I into the supports 3 to 9 are shown merely by dots I4 in order that the head of the fastener. such as a nail, which, if it were shown, would cover the wire lacing thereunder, shall not prevent illustration of various forms of looping and winding of the strand or wire about said fasteners. Moreover, in Fig. 1 these loops in the wire or lacing are shown somewhat enlarged about the dots- I4 to make clear the manner in which the strands or wire extend about or are wrapped around the nails.

The supports 3 to 9, inclusive, have been so numbered in order to make reference thereto in the description of the various types of looping and arrangements of the lacing in connection with the fasteners. As the typical construction is that of plaster lath erected upon studs or joists of wood and as the invention has particular application in connection with ceiling constructions in which such plaster lath are nailed to the underside of the joists; the invention will be described in connection with such a plaster lath ceiling construction and the supports 3 to 9 inclusive will be referred to as joists. Fig. 1, therefore, may be taken as a view looking upward at the ceiling. In this figure, for convenience, the tiers or courses of lath are lettered A, B, C and D. In Figures 2! and 3 the lath I are shown with cores 2 between cover papers I I.

At the joist 3 the wire I3 is wrapped about a nail It at the left side of the joint I2 between the two lath I in course A which meet upon said joist 3. The strand is then carried toward the right and around the nail I4 which is directly opposite across said joint I2 and then downward in the figure parallel to the joint I2 and about a third nail I4. From this nail the strand passes across the joint I2 to a fourth nail I I about which the wire is wrapped and then carried parallel to the joint to and around a fifth nail I4. From this nail the series of wraps and winding about the nails is repeated.

For further illustration, the fifth nail I4 just mentioned is shown at the upper left hand part of Fig. 4 and the strand or wire It is shown wrapped around or extending about successive nails I4 in the manner similar to that described above and is then carried across the horizontal joint I0 between the lath in courses or tiers A and B to a nail I4 which is substantially in line with the joint I2 between the two lath I of the course A. It will be clear from Fig. 4 how the single strand of wire may be wrapped or looped around the nails or caused to take a right angle turn about the nails.

The lacing of the strand or wire about the nails may be carried forward along the joist 3 upon the lath I in tiers B and C in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1 by wrapping the strands or wire about successive nails with a loop. It will be apparent that in the particular arrangement illustrated in Fig. 1 the strand I6 extends continuously over three courses or tiers of the lath. Moreover, it will be apparent that the wrapping and winding is carried out in such a way as to traverse the joints between lath and to extend between nails which support these lath. The portions of the lath which lie between nails will be supported by the strand I6 if the nails pull through the lath because of the weakened grip of the core material resulting from its calcination under the heat. It will be apparent that the lath in course A have at least two stretches of the strand I6 between nails extending across portions of the face of the lath. Moreover, wraps around the nail provide enlarged contact which will serve to maintain support of the lath after the grip of the nails by the core has been lost. The same type of support along the joist occurs in courses B and C where the strand It is continuous from nail to nail.

Upon joist 4, a modified arrangement of the lacing is shown where the wire I8 is wrapped around successive nails along the joist 4 but in the opposite direction of rotation about alternate nails. In course A. this arrangement of the lacing is shown for supportalong a joist other than one upon which edges of the adjacent plaster lath meet. The general scheme of the arrangement illustrated along joist 4, however, may be carried out as shown in thecourse B where two lath I meet upon the joist 4, the nail I4 being driven through the adjacent edges opposite each other across the joint I2. The lacing wire I8 may be wrapped around a nail I4 at the left of the joint I2 and then in the reverse direction around the nail I4 at the right of the joint. It may then be carried diagonally down to the nail I4 below at the left of the joint !2 and thence across the joint to the nail I4 at the right of the joint, wrapping around such nail in the reverse direction from the third nail mentioned. This alternately reverse wrapping may be carried out across the course B and then across the course C where the scheme of wrapping shown in connection with course A may be repeated. It will be apparent that the portions of the lath lying between nails and immediately aroundthe nails have reinforcing support by virtue of the wire laced as described and that this lacing accomplishes a substantially symmetrical placement of the portions of the strand I8 which lie between'th'e nails, thereby securing a more uniform reinforcement and sup'-' port of the lath after grip of the core material is lost.

Fig. 5 shows in enlarged scale the detail of the wrapping and winding of the strand I8 about the nails I4 which are adjacent the lengthwise joint II, between lath I in courses A and B and the transverse joint I2 between lath in course B.

Upon joist 5 is shown a somewhat simpler and more easily erected lacing arrangement in which the strand or wire is passed on the opposite side of successive nails along the joist 5. The Wire 20 also extends alternately about the nails I4 which are placed on opposite sides of the joint I2 between lath I of the course C which falls on joist 5. By selection of a nail having a head of suitable size in some cases this simple Wrapping or winding of the wire strand may suffice.

Fig. 6 shows in enlarged scale the wire 20 extending about the nails I4 which are adjacent the lengthwise joint In between courses or tiers B and C and the transverse joint I2 between lath I in course C.

Spanning across the space between joists B and I in Fig. 1 between nails I4 which are driven through the plaster lath into these joist and extending about said nails are lacing wires 22 and 24. In the particular arrangement illustrated the lacing wires extend diagonally across the rectangle lying between joists 6 and I and between the lengthwise edges of the lath I of,

course A. Similarly, the lacings 22 and 24 extend generally diagonally across the rectangle between the lengthwise edges III of course B and thence across a similar rectangle of course C. Thus is provided by the continuous lacings 22 and 24 across a series of the plaster latlis sup-- port for the unsupported central portions of said lath which lie between the joists. After the calcination of the core material about the nails, not only will the loops of the wires 22 and 24 which extend about said nails I4 act to continue the support of the lath along the edges of the panel 01' adjacent the nail but the unsupported portions of the lath which span across between the joists will have the support of the stretches of wire 22 and 24 which extend diagonally across these spaces.

A somewhat simpler arrangement of the lacing which may suffice in some cases is shown for the wire 26 laced upon nails I4 driven through the lath into the joists 1 and 8, and alternately from one joist to the other in the diagonal direction with respect to the length and width of the lath. It will be noted in the particular arrangement illustrated that the wire 25 extends about the nail I4 adjacent the center of the width of the lath I in one course to a similarly placed nail in a lath I in the adjacent course. Thus the strand of wire 26 passes across the lengthwise joint In between the panels of the two tiers adjacent the center of the length of.

said joint I0 which lies between the joists. The

otherwise unsupported portions of the lath I- lying between the joists I and 8, therefore, are supported at the edges thereof, which likewise are otherwise unsupported, so that any sagging of one lath with respect to the other which would permit flame to pass through the base provided by the lath construction may be prevented or postponed for the desired period of time. It is obvious that two or more such strands 26 may be laced between joists I and 8 in reversely crossing relation, similar to the lacing of wires 22 and 24 between joists 6 and I, if additional support is required for other parts of the unsupported portions of the lath.

In course D are illustrated modified arrangements of the lacing in which wires 28 and 29 extend generally parallel to the lengthwise edges of the lath I and are wrapped around successive nails in the manner shown. Thus the wires 28 and 29 extend across the joint I2 between two lath Iv in course D which meet upon the joist 3 and continue across the unsupported portions of the lath I which span between joists 3 and 4, 4 and 5 and 5 and 6. In addition to the lacing wires 28 and 29 placed adjacent the unsupported lengthwise edges of the lath I, in the embodiment illustrated a third wire 30 may extend between nails I4 shown positioned at the center of the lath I in this course D.

At the right hand portion of the course D appears a further modification of the lacing arrangement in which the wires 32, 33 and 34 are shown extending between nails I4 on successive joists 6, I, 8 and 9 but in a. diagonal direction sothat, in addition to spanning across between joists, these wires will cross the lengthwise joints I0 between courses and, as well, may continue across the transverse joints I2 between lath I meeting in the same tier. Support for the unsupported portions of the lath and for the portions adjacent the joints is thus obtained in this arrangement.

It will be clear from the above description that combinations of the arrangements of the lacing may be made so as to embody in the same structure lacings which extend generally along the joists with those that extend transversely to the length of the joists and across the unsupported portions of the lath spanning thereacross. Other arrangements will be apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the illustrated embodiments of the invention and all such lie within the scope of the invention which utilize the lacing of a strand or Wire about the fatsener such as a nail to increase the support at the fastener and the extension of this lacing across portions of the panel or lath so that these portions lying between fasteners or nails will have the support of the lacing when the grip of the body of the material, such as the core of the gypsum lath, is lost either by burning or calcination. It is a feature of the invention that the fasteners or nails engage the lacing and carry the support thereof back through the panels or lath to the joists themselves. Because this construction is capable of remaining intact and capable of taking load beyond the period of disintegration of the core of the lath itself each of the panels or lath may be held in place to resist passage of the fire after the immediate grip of the panels or lath upon the nails is lost and for a sufiicient time so that the structure as a whole will be maintained in position and resist spread of the fire. While the construction has been described with nails as fasteners driven through the face of the panels or lath, within the scope of the invention other types of fasteners may be used and such fasteners or nails may .be set adjacent the edges of the panels and to engage the supports while gripping or engaging the panels to hold them to the supports. Upon the loss of such grip the lacing construction of the invention will function in the same manner as upon the loss of grip of the nails driven through the panels or lath. V 1

While the form of the lacing preferably is that of a strand of cross-section symmetrical about the axis such as the circular or square crosssection, within the scope of the invention the strand may take other forms. A strand of symmetrical cross-section, such as a wire of circular cross-section, may be bent and wrapped around fasteners with ease. Nevertheless, in order to provide for other features, such as a better look for the plaster applied to the base sheet or panel, strands of other cross-section such as are illustrated in Figs. '7 and 3 may be used. In these figures the strand is in the form of a strip of sheet material formed with a base portion 40 and with flanged portions 4|. The strand or strip may be extended across the face of the base panel or sheet with the portion 40 in contact therewith and may engage or extendabout fasteners or may be fastened to the studs or supports by nails or other devices where these strands cross or are adjacent to said supports. The strand or strip may span between the fasteners and across unsupported areas of the base panel or sheet. The flanges M which stand away from the face surface of the base panel or sheet become embedded in the plaster layer applied to said face. Because of the greater extent of contact of the plaster layer with a strand of this type better support of the plaster layer may in some cases be obtained than with a strand of symmetrical cross-section. Moreover, the wider bearing surface of a fiattened wire or strip or channel may provide better support for the lath itself.

Having thus described my invention I now claim:

1. A Wall construction comprising a plurality of spaced supports, a sheet of plaster-supporting base material, fasteners engaging said base sheet and said supports to fasten said base sheet to said supports, and a continuous strand of lacing material capable of taking stress under substantial heat successively engaging a series of said fasteners and stretching straight over the surface of the board from one fastener to another, said continuous strand being held by said engaged fasteners in said straight stretched relation to said base and together with said fasteners and said supports providing support for said base and a plaster layer thereon independently of direct support of said base by said engaged fastener.

2. A wall construction comprising a plurality of supports of relatively great length with respect to the cross-section thereof set in spaced relation with their lengths extending generally parallel to each other, a sheet of plaster-supporting base material, fasteners engaging said base sheet and said supports at a plurality of points therealong to fasten said base sheet to said supports, and a continuous strand of metal lacing material successively engaging a series of said fasteners adjacent the ends thereof opposite to the portion thereof which engages said supports, said lacing being held by said engaged fasteners stretched straight from one fastener to another over the face of the base and together with said fasteners and said spaced supports providing support for said base and a plaster layer thereon independently of direct support of said base by said engaged fasteners.

3. In a wall construction a plurality of wooden studs or joists arranged with their len tending generally parallel and spaced apart in the direction transverse to their lengths, a sheet of plaster-supporting base material, nails driven through said base sheet into said studs or joists to fasten said base sheet thereto, and a continuous wire lacing extending over the face of said base which is outwardly positioned with respect to said studs or joists and wound about each of a series of said nails in succession and held thereby stretched straight between nails, said lacing together with said nails and said studs or joists providing support for said base and a plaster layer thereon independently of direct support of said base by said nails.

4. A wall construction according to claim 1 in which said lacing extends from a fastener at one support to a fastener upon another support.

5. A wall construction comprising a plurality of spaced supports, sheets of plaster-supporting base material of such dimensions as to span the spaces between supports and mounted thereon in edge to edge relation, fasteners passing through said base sheets and engaging said supports to fasten said base sheets thereto, and a continuous strand of heat resisting lacing successively engaging a series of said fasteners adjacent the ends thereof opposite to the portion thereof which engages the supports, said lacing being held by said engaged fasteners stretched straight a substantial distance across a portion of the base sheet which spans between supports and also from a fastener at one side of a joint between two base sheets to a fastener at the other side of said joint and together with said fastener and said spaced supports providing support at said joint for said base sheets and a plaster layer thereon independently of direct support of said base sheets by said engaged fasteners.

6. A wall construction according to claim 1 in which said lacing extends back and forth between fasteners to cover a substantial portion of the surface of said wall construction which is supported upon said supports by said fasteners but is unsupported between supports.

7. A wall construction comprising a plurality of spaced supports, sheets of plaster supporting base material of such dimensions as to span the spaces between supports and mounted thereon in edge to edge relation and with edges meeting upon a support, fasteners passing through said base sheet and engaging said supports to fasten said base sheets thereto, at least some of said fasteners passing through the base sheets and engaging supports upon which said base sheets meet, and a continuous strand of heat resisting lacing successively engaging a series of said fasteners adjacent the ends thereof opposite to the portion thereof which engages the supports, said lacing being held by fasteners which pass through the base sheets and engage supports upon which said base sheets meet and being stretched straight over a substantial portion of the face of the base sheet from a fastener at one side of the joint between two meeting base sheets to a fastener at the other side of said joint, said lacing together with said fasteners engaged thereby and said supports providing support at said joint for said base sheets and the plaster layers carried thereon independently of direct support of said base sheets by said fasteners.

GILBERT A. HOGGATT. 

